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Governor Vardaman angrily criticizes President Roosevelt for taking action against the white citizens of Indianola, Mississippi, after they forced black postmaster Minnie M. Geddings Cox to resign from her post.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-01-10
President Roosevelt outlines and refutes the falsehoods in Alfred Holt Stone’s Studies in the American Race Problem. He tells John Graham Brooks that he judges a work’s reliability by seeing what it says about a subject he is familiar with, and then deciding if he can trust it on things that he does not know as much about. He explains that Stone is spreading falsehoods about the so-called “referee” system in the Southern states, especially Mississippi. Roosevelt points out that the practice was common with presidents before him, and that it is necessary in areas where the Republican party does not have a strong enough presence to provide good appointees to positions. He also discusses his handling of the case of African American postmistress Minnie M. Geddings Cox, who was forced by an angry mob to resign her position and leave town.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-13
Postmaster General Payne encloses a memorandum regarding the number of “colored postmasters” appointed by President Roosevelt and the instances when persons of color serving as postmasters were succeeded by white appointees.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-02-12
Newspaper article supporting President Roosevelt’s position in the Indianola post office case. Complaints were raised against Indianola’s postmaster, Minnie M. Geddings Cox, due to her race. Roosevelt supported Cox and federal authority to appoint postmasters.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-01-27
Magazine article supporting Minnie M. Geddings Cox and her continued service as postmaster in Indianola, Mississippi.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-01-24